NEW GAME PLUS
by alleycatforthelulz
Summary: Children are the hope of this world-but they are still children. Alternatively, the Hero is sad about their Partner and can't get past the Sand Dune of Spirits. Help comes from a mysterious source we all know and children are terrifying creatures. [Massive spoilers for PSMD or just PMD in general. Dark fic. Longer description on my profile.]
1. It Begins Again

**Notes: Just some general notes and warnings. This story will have massive Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon spoilers and will be fairly dark. There will be violence and possible death, although the death will be mostly pre-story (or will it). There are also several dark themes but it won't retract much from the original storyline, which was already pretty dark when you think about it.**

 **Also, there is a poll on my profile on which Pokémon was the most fun to play during the Mystery Dungeon franchise. I included every single playable character from every game that I know but it's only for the main character you play as. As such, I have to say that my personal vote would either go to Bulbasaur or Eevee, although Squirtle also has a special place in my heart. I'll have one up for favorite partner Pokémon in the following week or so (my vote for Riolu, Eevee, or Shinx). It may or may not have an effect on the story so please be sure to vote.**

 **Inspiration: Partially Undertale and my own frustrations at what the game should have been called: "Fuck Your Grass Starter." You will find many a reference.**

* * *

They don't know how many times they've been through this. It all starts to blend into enter, encounter, defeat, walk, ascend, encounter, defeat, ascend, encounter, lose, revive, defeat, encounter, lose, revive, defeat, encounter lose revive defeat encounter lose revive defeat encounter lose revive defeat encounterloserevivedefeatencounterloseloseloseloselose

They lose a lot.

Ampharos is getting worried about them. He says that maybe it's time to quit, just for a little while, ℙ̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡ ̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̹̪̪̩̝̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡ wouldn't want to see them like this. He says that children shouldn't have to be like this. Everyone else shows their concern too, just in different ways. Mawile takes them on archeological digs and always comes to them when she finds new information on ℙ̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡ ̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̹̪̪̩̝̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡. Jirachi lets them look through his telescope and he points out the constellations late at night, when they can't sleep. Buizel and Archen eventually accompany them through the dungeon and they even made it to the last floor once—but this is their journey and their journey alone and they, reluctantly, turned back. Dedenne uses her telepathy to send them jokes from time to time and to keep them updated on what goes on around them. Bunnelby, they're sure, accompanies them, too, on their dungeon explorations, just in a sneakier way. They glanced back many a time to see an out of place hole or the quick glimpse of too long ears hiding away beneath the earth. Even Swirlix has noticed and saves them at least one perfect apple for dinner each night without fail, no matter how hungry she gets. Maybe everyone is right and they should take a break but the longer they go without ℙ̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡ ̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̹̪̪̩̝̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡, the longer time stretches before them lost and alone and scared and so very very sad.

They just want to reach Natu. They just want to know about ℙ̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡ ̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̹̪̪̩̝̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡.They just want to see ℙ̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡ ̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̹̪̪̩̝̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡.

It's a horrible fate they've fallen in. They can never be at a high enough level to survive Houndoom's inferno or Serviper's bite and they never have enough reviver seeds to reach that one last floor. Wands go fast and so do orbs and seeds and pretty soon, they're left with nothing except to wait for rescue, restock, restart. It's become a bit of a habit now (get up, travel on Lapras Travel Liner, enter dungeon, lose, wait for rescue, return home, eat dinner, sleep, repeat) and they've even heard some of the adults whispering about "obsession" and "it's not healthy." But that's okay because they're going to one day reach the final floor and meet Natu and he'll tell them where ℙ̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡ ̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̹̪̪̩̝̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡ is and they'll find them and everything will turn out fine and everyone will get their happy endings because that's what heroes deserve and they saved the world and so did ℙ̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡ ̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̹̪̪̩̝̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡ so both of them deserve their happy endings... Right?

They haven't seen Carracosta in a while. They haven't seen (Dad) Nuzleaf in a while. They miss them.

Again, it's the same today. They enter the Sand Dune of Spirits during early morning, when the heat isn't so bad. Already, they're faced with a battle as Houndoom howls from the other side of the room they've been warped into. They attack the space in front of them once and Houndoom moves towards them. They continue attack the space in front of them until Houndoom is in a reasonable range and then they wave a Petrify Wand at the fire-type, escaping the room before he shakes off the status effect. After a few more dead end rooms and close calls and some reviver seeds, they finally find the stairs. This continues for the next couple of floors until they reach Level 7. They don't see the Houndoom coming until it is too late and the inferno burns through their body, leaving them broken and helpless on the ground.

Satisfied, the Houndoom leaves the room and leaves the child on the floor. They curl up into themselves and wait for rescue. Tears fall fast and hotly down their face, aches ringing through their body and burns leaving lasting marks that join the preexisting ones. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair. They just wanted to see their friend again so why was the world being so _mean._ Why why why.

Another loss, another defeat.

 **I don't want this either…**

They blinked.

 **I don't want it to end like this. I'm so close.**

Was that… a voice? Inside their head?

Maybe they were going what the adults called "crazy." They sat up, tears dried on their face but no longer falling. Maybe this voice could help them. After all, voices in their head had helped them before. Maybe it was another Pokémon with telepathy, like Dedenne or Espurr. Maybe this Pokémon wouldn't be such a big bully and would actually help them.

 **Please, I need to make it to Natu.**

That's what they wanted too. They made up their mind.

 _Hello…?_

 **…**

 _…_

 **…** **oh my god. How is this possible?**

 _Um, I—_

 **This shouldn't be happening, it's just a videogame.**

 _Please, um—_

 **Maybe Mom was right and I'm getting too attached. That's it, I've officially gone crazy.**

 _Wait—_

 **It's like Creepy Black or whatever its name was—Lost Silver? It's like that creepypasta all over—**

 _Canyoupleasehelpme?_

Silence. They were nervous but nothing ventured, nothing gained. It's not like they wouldn't be rescued in a moment anyway.

 **…** **yeah. Yeah, I can. This is all probably a dream anyway.**

 _What?_

 **Yeah, one last time. We'll do it one last time, then…**

 _Then…?_

Flash forward, static. They're startled, choking on a bit of oran berry. When did they get back to Lively Town? When did they sit down to dinner? They can remember back to the dungeon, faintly, and they can remember being rescued but it's like they used ten quick orbs that lasted hours instead of minutes. Static interrupts in the background, things they can't remember or events they can't quite place fade into the black and white snow. It's a weird feeling because it doesn't feel quite like the world anymore, more like a playground to play around in before going home: separate, fun, inconsequential. The day doesn't feel like a day anymore and it's more like a series of events strung together to make a "day" instead of an actual day itself.

Flash forward, static. They've woken up but they don't remember going to their room and they don't remember falling asleep. They don't know what's happening and they're scared but flash forward, static, everyone's yelling, "Yes sir!" and they do their best to keep up. There's a sick feeling in their stomach but they try to keep it down as they exit the society, earning a different flash forward, darkness. It's scary and they have to spend a few minutes calming down, reminding themself that they already beat the Dark Matter. They take a step forward, afraid of the darkness reappearing, then another when it doesn't.

They make it halfway down the stairs before flash forward, darkness. They spend the day in a dizzying state of flash forward, static and flash forward, darkness and they bumble around, trying their best to make sense of it all. They don't hear the voice again.

Finally, they enter the Sand Dune of Spirits armed with wands, reviver seeds, and orbs. They make good progress and make it five floors without being too damaged or having to use a reviver seed. Once they reach Level 6, though, it goes downhill. There are two Houndooms and a Serviper in the room they've warped to and they have to use three reviver seeds before they can escape the room. They find the stairs easily enough but have to use an oran berry to reclaim their health before the next floor. Thankfully, there are no Pokémon waiting for them in the next room. In fact, there are no Pokémon at all. Dread settles in their stomach but they push on and even spot the stairs in the next room.

Suddenly, Pokémon fall through the ceiling and they realize, with horror, that it is a Monster House. Six, no, Seven reviver seeds are used before they make it to the next floor. The next couple of levels are spent warily and safely, they only have one reviver seed left, and it's a tiny one at that. They use that seed on the ninth floor against a Venemoth, putting her to sleep with a Slumber Wand before climbing the stairs. It's the tenth floor and anticipation gnaws at their belly while excitement flows through their veins. The last floor, the last set of stairs.

They use up all their wands and some of their coveted blast seeds before they find the stairs. A grin stretches across their face as they prepare to take that last final step—legs collapse. Hunger, not anticipation, gnaws at their belly and they can only groan weakly at their horrible failure. They didn't even bother to bring an apple with them since reviver seeds revive them with a full belly, stupid, stupid, stupid.

They wait for rescue.

 **Well, I guess that's it.**

Flash forward, light?

 **That was my last shot. Jeez, I really don't want to start over but…**

Too much light, drawings in their head, a menu? Precious scarf, continue. Pelipper Island, rescue? Paper and eraser, D_E_L_E_T_E S_A_V_E ?

 **Eh, I kinda want to relive the story anyway. Maybe it'll be easier if I'm a water-type…**

Too much light, falling ( _the cliff broke beneath them, the grass couldn't hold it together, they were falling_ ), darkness, light, flash forward.

 **Besides, I did say that I would do it if I didn't make it this last time, even if it was in a weird dream.**

 ** _D_E_L_E_T_E S_A_V_E ?_**

 ** __Y E S_**

 ** _N O_**

 _Nonononononono Ampharos_ _ℙ_ _̅ͭͭ͌ͮ͌̓ͥͫͩͯ̽ͯ̃̌̉̚̚͟͡҉̬̲̰̖ ̡̛̲͙͕͎͈̤̩̻̭̗̻̜́̒̑͌͛͂͛ͪͧ̇̑ͦͫ́͘͘ґ͖̪̗̹͙͍͂̔͂͒̃͐͐̍̍̅̓ͤ̽̓̍ͪ͟͡_ _̉͗̈́̿̎̈ͯ̔̔̀͊̒͏̴̫̬͖͈̯͔͍͍̬̳͚ᾔ̴̱̞̝͖͙̙͎͓̫͖̯͑ͬ̄̌̾͊ͪͯ̈́ͣͨ͌͟͟ε̧̦̮̣̈̆ͣͤ͛̚͜_ я̸̘̜̰̬̭͓̠̭͉̱̄͋̊̈́ͨ̀͜͡ _Dadleaf please_

This isn't what they wanted.

 **_Y E S**

 **Fennekin looks like a cute starter but Charmander is old—**

Whatever connection line connected them to the voice snaps violently, like frayed rope at its end. There is no more light, just darkness, and they are all alone again. There is no sound, no sight, no smell, no taste, no touch. There is just a floating sensation and they are only thankful that there is no more falling. But maybe that means that there's no more of anything else and it scares them for a minute and they cry out— _Nuzleaf—_

But nobody came.

Flash forward, light. A splitting headache runs through their head and dryness claws at their throat. The sound of rushing water fills their ears and they have a strong feeling of déjà vu. They open their eyes.

A river sits before them as a waterfall cascades down to fill it. They can hear familiar beeping in the distance.

 **N_E_W G_A_M_E P_L_U_S**


	2. Play the Game

**Note: I'm sorry this took so long but my computer has broken several times these last couple of months and classes started up. I wanted to get this out during Spring Break but all I did was sleep. Again, sorry. I also would like to thank the two sweet reviewers Ikcatcher and FreezingPetals, my two sweet followers Gogoboots and Ikcatcher, my two sweet favoriters DawnSapphire07 and FreezingPetals, and my one sweet follower Ikcatcher who went even further and followed me as an author. I was hesitant about posting this story because I didn't know if it would interest anybody. My main motivation as a writer is writing a story that would interest people and make them feel a variety of emotions while reading. Thank you all of the above and sorry for taking so long to post this second chapter. It may be short but I hope you like it.**

 **Also, I forgot to mention this last time but the Hero is non-binary, has selective mutism, and anxiety problems. The Partner (Which was the messed up word from last chapter. Why? Because the Player gives the Partner a name, so having that word be glitched was how I choose to represent that.) is agender and has ADHD. So if that offends anyone, please stop reading this. The game never used any pronouns so that is how I see it, even if Nintendo did that so that you can imprint on the character. Also, the ages (in human terms) of our Pokémon pals are both around 10, like in the original Pokémon Red. Some of the Legendaries are also either non-binary, genderfluid, or any of the other various genders since Pokémon refuses to given them genders and I refuse to call a creature "it." There will also be a lot of "Fanon" in here, as many things are left vague in this universe. Just a warning.**

* * *

 **ACT ONE: Those That Live On This Planet,**

 **Those That Have Come to This Planet,**

 **And Those That Have Saved This Planet**

 **CHAPTER ONE: Play the Game**

* * *

 _All life in this world…_

 _Is said to have been born from the same source._

 _The sun and the stars…_

 _The skies and the sea…_

 _And even Pokémon…_

 _Are all bound together as one._

 _But what someone… something…_

 _Came from the outside?_

* * *

It was a tranquil atmosphere. The stars glittered in the distance and the earth spun slowly, ever on its eternal course. A meteorite zoomed safely past the planet as its passenger reached their stop. Hopping off, they fell quickly to earth as the atmosphere buffeted them back.

Floating calmly up in the outer layer of the thermosphere, Deoxys looked down on the earth below. While they spent their many of their days traveling the cosmos, the green and blue planet was the place they had decided to call home. They had been traveling on the top of the meteorite for a week now, seeing new stars and planets from the safety of the giant rock, but had decided to pay the planet a visit as it had drew near. Now, they were content with floating in the atmosphere and watching the earth turn.

A green gleam caught their attention. A pokémon was flying fast through the layers, burning a bright green due to such a sudden departure. Squinting their eyes for a closer look, they widened at the identity of the unknown pokémon.

"Is that…?!" they gasped.

"Rawwrrr!" Rayquaza roared as he blew past. It was all Deoxys could do to hold their place.

"Is that the Legendary… Rayquaza?" Deoxys muttered to themself as they watched the mighty Legendary's figure grow smaller the further he traveled. Deoxys had never seen the other Legendary in person before but they could tell that the myths surround Rayquaza were not exaggerated in the slightest. Even from the moderate distance between the two, Deoxys could feel the undercurrent of power flowing from Rayquaza by sheer presence alone, never mind the fact that the emerald Legendary was currently hurtling to the nice red planet Deoxys had explored about fifty decades ago. But…

"But… I thought he inhabited the ozone layer… Why has he come past the stratosphere?" Deoxys turned to gaze down at the seemingly innocent planet, an uneasy weight settling in their stomach. What had caused Rayquaza to, no use denying it, run away from such a wonderful place? A wonderful place where everyone was accepted and loved… what had dared cause such a thing?

"Something strange must be afoot… here on this planet… my planet…"

* * *

Celebi flew through the leaves with a giggle, listening to the calming sound of the wind whistling through the trees. Stopping for a moment, Celebi cocked her head as she listened to the wind. There was a faint note that traveled through the trees that was… familiar. Which, ordinarily, would never bother her except that the same as lightning never strikes the same place twice, wind never blows through the same way twice. So why was it now?

"No," she gasped, her wings almost coming to a complete stop before she righted herself. "No, it can't be… no one else should be able to…"

But someone had been able to, and they had RESET.

"Not," Celebi growled. "In _my_ timeline."

* * *

Dialga wearily lifted his head as the fluctuations in time were made apparent to him. He gave a forlorn sigh as he settled down to wait. No doubt, Celebi would be here any minute to scream and complain about it but what were they to do? The last time something like this happened was with Mew many years ago with the _first_ hero and they had been feeling the shockwaves ever since. Especially since Mew and the hero kept reincarnating. At least it hadn't gotten as bad as the third reincarnation where time itself had been the problem. He still had migraines from _that_ cycle.

A spring green blur rocketed into the Temporal Tower and into the giant cobalt Legendary's side. Ah, right on time. And Celebi had even managed to shift him, a little.

" _Dialgaaaa…"_

With another sigh, Dialga settled in for the very long rant that was soon to follow.

* * *

They opened their eyes to green all around them. It was a familiar sight that held a faint twinge of nostalgia. Trees towered above them and grass grew in wild clumps, indicating the unsettled ferocity of the dungeon. A pond (or lake? They could never tell which was which) sparkled next to them as a gushing waterfall gurgled serenly, its surface reflecting what they already knew to be true. It was a peaceful setting but all they could feel was dread. The feeling was so strong that they almost didn't hear the calm voice—

 _(Please calm down.)_

—but they did so they listened. Warily this time, because the _other_ voice they heard (abandoned) took everything from them. This voice, though, was different. It didn't feel telepathic like the other voice did, it was more of a sort of consciousness that floated in the back of your mind. Not a voice from a different person all together but not the same as their own voice. It was comforting (and terrifying).

 _(You can hear me? Why?)_

They blinked at the question and shook their head slightly. They stood up and quickly stretched the stiffness out of their legs before padding around the clearing. If they were right, and they hoped they weren't, the Beheeyem were bound to show up soon. It was best to be ready to run when the, for lack of better term, possessed Pokémon did show up. Even if they had no idea how this what happening.

 _(Strange, you weren't able to last time…)_

They paused in their pacing. They wanted to ask, "Last time?" but their voice could never seem to work right, even on the best of days. However, it seemed that there was no need to vocalize their question as the voice quickly caught on to their confusion.

 _(Yes, last time, because I am sure… I am sure this has happened before, even if the memories are a bit hazy. Is this something you did?)_

Something… they did? They… they didn't know. Yes, they asked the voice for help but did that cause this to happen…?

"Beheem! Beheem!" the shouts interrupted their train of thought as the Beheeyem emerged from the bushes from their left. The Pokémon surrounded them as the gem-like orbs that substituted for fingers (or was it that humans substituted fingers for the orbs? After all, not all Pokémon needed fingers so what was substituting what…) flickered in the sunlight.

 _(Get back on track.)_ the voice gently chided. They snapped back to the situation but oddly enough, the Beheeyem just floated harmlessly in front of them. Then, the flickering started up again, but with a dark undercurrent to it.

 **Flicker flicker flicker… yoU.**

They shivered. That voice… they remembered _(Calm down.)_ that voice. It was at this time that they also realized _(You're working yourself up.)_ just how many times strange voices had entered their head. There was even one right now _(Yes, so if you just listen—)_ that was inside their head and it was all just too funny…! _(You're having an anxiety attack, you need to calm down and breathe.)_

It wasn't until the voice in their head mentioned it that they realized their chest was burning. They gasped and choked on the air as their lungs refilled, all the while the voice made soothing comments. _(Yes, just like that. Deep breaths. Pace yourself. It's okay.)_

Eventually, they calmed down enough to breathe normally again. They glanced at the Beheeyem (when had they closed their eyes?) _(Around the time you had a realization about 'strange voices.')_ only to find them still floating awkwardly around them. Once the Pokémon realized that they had their attention, their orbs once again began to flicker.

 **Flicker flicker flicker… it WAs YoU.**

Cringing away from the dark aura, they couldn't help but be reminded of their last battle with Partner. _(Don't think about it, you'll only send yourself into a panic again.)_ Nodding resolutely at the voice's words, they squared their shoulders as they stared the dark-controlled Beheeyem down.

 **Flicker flicker flicker… yOU stArTEd tHe CYclE aGaIN.**

The words "I didn't mean to," sat on their tongue, thick and nasty and perhaps a bit dishonest. After all, they had said that they would do anything to see Partner again. But they didn't mean like this, never like this. _(It's okay, we'll fix it.)_

 **Flicker flicker flicker… WhO iS tHIs?**

A shiver runs down their spine again. They don't know who their new mysterious voice-friend is but they do know that, oddly enough, they don't want anything bad happening to (Him? Her? Them? They aren't quite sure what to call the voice yet.) them. And having Dark Matter take an interest in anyone, for that matter, was a sure fire way to ensure some bad happening.

They opened their mouth, about to attempt a shaky go at speech, but the voice beats them to it.

 _(I am the spirit of the first human to come here. I was chosen to defeat Dark Matter and my reincarnation stands here before you. I am the first human, Hiro.)_

* * *

Today could be listed as one of the most mediocre days of Nuzleaf's life. He could barely remember the start of the day as the heavy fog of sleepiness seemed to blanket his memories every time he tried to recall his morning. And the more he pushed, the more foggy the memories would become. Which would have been alarming if he had been in a clearer state of mind, but again, everything was so foggy to him right now. He had the vaguest sense that he came all the way out here for some important reason but just couldn't place his finger on it. Rare berries, possibly? But he was fairly certain that there would be better places than _Open Pass_ , a notoriously easy mystery dungeon that didn't have much in the way of rare items. Regular items? Sure, the dungeon had a ton but that's all it had.

Ruminating on this strange occurrence, Nuzleaf continued to walk down the path from Open Pass to Shimmering Lake. There was something important that was about to happen, he could feel it. The 'what' escaped him though. A flash of blue from the stretch of path ahead caught his eye. He jumped in surprise as the blue flash suddenly lunged toward him, preparing a Dark Pulse in retaliation. But just as suddenly as the figure had lunged toward him, he stopped his attack as he realized what the figure really was.

A child.

Now, Nuzleaf was no expert about children. In fact, children filled Nuzleaf with an uneasiness and dread that nothing else could. Children were small and fragile and they burned oh so easily… But even Nuzleaf could tell that there was something _off_ about the child in front of him. They were a young Bulbasaur with a level of, now that he looked at it, _five!_ If they had been anywhere else, their story would have surely ended in tragedy. They looked like they were around school-age but there was a knowing glint in their eye, a deep seated wisdom that came from experience. What experience, Nuzleaf wasn't sure he wanted to know but he was definitely curious to find out.

Their vines appeared from the bulb on their back and Nuzleaf instantly went on the defensive. Though they may be a child, they were still capable of fighting. But their vines just hung in the air, seemingly frozen in place. Then, they started doing odd movements which took a while for Nuzleaf to decipher as sign language. It was difficult to recognize at first, as sign language was different for every Pokémon, but once he realized what the movements were, he could readily understand the kid.

(I'm sorry,) they signed, their sad red eyes burning their way to his soul. (I'm lost and I can't remember anything. Do you know where we are?)

Gosh darn it, they were an amnesiac lost little kid with a level of five (five!) and no clue where home was or even if they had a home! Nuzleaf had promised himself, a long, long time ago, that he would never be the punchline to the joke again. He wouldn't let this kid sway him and he was resolved to stand firm in his decision. But one look into their deep mournful eyes, and he was already planning their admittance to the tiny school back in his quaint village.

"Gosh darn it kid, I'm a sucker for sob stories."

* * *

It was on the way home that he learned more about them. Such as, they had no name, that they weren't quite a boy or a girl but a mix of the two (and preferred to be called 'they'), that they could speak but were afflicted by selective mutism (a common disorder found in Pokémon), and that they were convinced they used to be human. Whether or not that last one was a childish fantasy that was taken to far or a coping mechanism to what happened to them before they lost memories, Nuzleaf wasn't sure. But what Nuzleaf was certain of, was that when they asked if they could hold his hand with their vine, Nuzleaf's answer was clear and his grip was firm.

* * *

 **we'LL PlAY thIs GAMe hIrO. buT wiLL IT enD LIke yoU WAnt?**

 _(…I don't know.)_


End file.
